By paNOW

Escorts ticketed in Saskatoon under new bylaw

Mar 26, 2013 | 1:01 AM

It’s a tool for police to make sure escorts are not underage or being exploited.

The adult services bylaw came into effect last summer and requires agencies and individuals in Saskatoon to get a licence.

“We’ve ticketed some massage parlors, we’ve ticketed escorts, it’s a combination of everything,” said Sgt. Rob Lechner with the Saskatoon police vice unit.

“This bylaw doesn’t give anybody authority to commit any type of criminal offense,” he added.

To date, 41 licences have been issued. The city has to check with each location, because there is a location requirement that goes with the bylaw.

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“That’s adult services agencies, adult service performers, transient adult service performers and adult service workers, so it’s a breakdown of those categories,” said Alan Wallace, manager of planning and development with the City of Saskatoon.

Since the bylaw came into effect, communication has improved between the vice section and those involved in the industry.

“There are a lot of people that were scared, for whatever reason, to talk to the police,” said Lechner.

But now, escorts are reporting bad dates to the authorities.

Today, most of the activity takes place online. Police monitor who is advertising and who is working at any given time in Saskatoon.

Some of the women are local, but many are traveling here from other provinces.

“It’s the belief, particularly out east, that Saskatchewan is a have province, there’s money here, that’s why they’re coming here,” said Lechner.

Officers allowed for a grace period until January so that people could learn more about the bylaw requirements, but since then 21 tickets have been issued and one underage girl was discovered working as an escort.

Lechner said they have seen a lot of women who do not speak English working here illegally, but no human trafficking charges have been laid.

An adult service agency licence costs $500 up front and $250 to renew each year. Adult service performers and workers pay $250 up front and $100 to renew each year.

The fees are not a revenue source for the city, but it covers the cost of processing all of the applications it receives.

There is one massage parlor operating with a licence in Saskatoon, another one is going through the process.

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